I Really Like This Girl
by Kailoa
Summary: Rated PG in case. It's their 7th and final year, and James' last chance to win Lily over. But the year gets off to a rocky start... Please R


**Please R&R or I won't bother continuing. So, anyway, enjoy, but first, the schpeal.**

**I don't own any of these characters, J.K. Rowling does, and I envy her.**

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Lily Evans walked down the streets of London slowly, biding her time, since this would be the last time she was in this area for a while. The last few days of summer had arrived, meaning she needed to buy school supplies. Her beautiful red hair was in two loose braids, complementing her bright green eyes that scanned the sidewalk ahead, looking for a particular address. She looked like an average seventeen-year-old girl, but anyone who made that assumption was gravely mistaken.  
  
Her soft face lit up happily as her eyes fell upon a dark and unsightly place, a pub, painted black, with golden lettering reading "The Leaky Cauldron." Gripping the hand of her younger sister, Petunia, Lily led her younger sister to the entranceway, before ushering her reluctant sister inside. She sighed with both happiness and regret as she entered the familiar bar – happy that she was returning to the Wizarding World, but displeased that she was bringing Petunia.  
  
Her parents had thought that perhaps taking Petunia to Diagon Alley, one of the main wizarding shopping areas would warm Petunia up to the idea of her sister being a witch. But Lily knew better. Petunia wouldn't change her mind about her, and so she was taking Petunia only to please her parents.  
  
"'Ello Lily, can I get ya something?" Tom, the owner and bartender asked, looking up to see the two sisters enter.  
  
"No thanks, Tom." Lily replied, pushing her sister hurriedly toward the back doorway, hoping that he wouldn't ask about Petunia. But of course, he did.  
  
"Who's this?" Tom asked, offering a half-grin to Petunia, who snorted in disgust and turned away, and causing Lily to blush a deep red.  
  
"Err... This is my sister, Petunia. Sorry about her, Tom, she's in a bad mood." Lily explained quickly, giving her sister a violent shove toward the door and breathing a deep sigh of relief as they walked out into the small paved courtyard and up to the brick wall opposite the pub.  
  
"Why did you say that I'm in a bad mood?" Petunia asked snottily, her arms crossed above her chest and facing in the opposite direction.  
  
"You are. You're being a spoiled prat." Replied Lily simply, as she counted out the bricks to open the magical entranceway to Diagon Alley.  
  
"I am NOT a prat." Petunia said defiantly, turning to face her sister as Lily tapped on a stone in the wall with her wand, and the magical archway began to open up. For a moment, Petunia was silenced in awe as the bricks re-arranged themselves, but as soon as the solid doorway was formed, she found her voice, and her jealousy. She hated Lily for getting to be a witch when she, Petunia wasn't. What made Lily so special? "OK, if that's how you see it." Lily said softly, determined not to fight with her sister, and stepping into the doorway and down the steps to Diagon Alley to prevent herself from doing so.  
  
Petunia paused for a moment, before jogging after her, but as soon as she was in eyesight of Lily, crossed her arm across her chest again and looked to the side defiantly.  
  
Shopping went by quickly. Lily was nice and didn't force Petunia to carry anything – even bought her some ice cream, but Petunia was stubborn and silent. Lastly, they went into Florish and Blotts, and just as Lily was pulling the last textbook she needed from the shelf, she heard the door open, and the familiar voices of James Potter, Sirius Black, and Remus Lupin filled the store.  
  
_Great. This is the last thing I need. James Potter and his mates seeing me with my wizard-hating sister; I'd never hear the end of it._ Lily thought to herself, taking the last book she needed and leading Petunia down toward a quieter part of the shop and away from the register. Unfortunately for her, poor Lily struggled with the pile of books in her arms and the large assortment and weight of the other packages, and before she knew it, she had fallen to the floor, all her things landing in a heap around her. Her face was a bright scarlet.  
  
_Please no, not J-_ her thoughts were interrupted, as James Potter peaked his head around the bookshelf, and a large smile spread across his face.  
  
"Evans! You OK? Have a nice summer?" he asked, walking over and helping her up as Remus Lupin gathered her scattered parcels from the floor.  
  
"Fine." Lily muttered, yanking her arm from his grasp and taking her things from Lupin. "Thanks Remus." She said with an embarrassed smile, before walking off to the cashier, ignoring James.  
  
"Aren't you going to ask how MY summer went, Evans?" he asked, as she brushed past, followed closely by Petunia, before James stopped Petunia with a happy grin.  
  
"Who're you?" he asked, glancing back to see Lily's reaction. Lily had stopped moving, and was standing as still as stone, and it was just the reaction James was looking for. Turning around suddenly, Lily yanked Petunia toward her.  
  
"She's my sister." Lily explained briefly, before walking up to cashier and dropping all the books on the counter. But James wouldn't leave it at that, and followed her, leaning against the counter with his I'm-James-Potter-I- Know-You-Want-Me smile.  
  
"Why isn't she at Hogwarts?" he asked, causing Petunia's lower lip to tremble slightly and her eyes to well up.  
  
"It really is none of your business, Potter." Lily replied coldly, dropping several galleons on the counter and grabbing her books, holding them tightly to her chest. Sure, Petunia hated her, but she wouldn't let anyone insult her sister, especially Potter. "I don't get you Potter. What makes you think you need to know these things about me? It's NOT like we're mates."  
  
With that, she stormed out of the shop, followed by her sister. Sirius Black, James's closest friend who had been watching intently, could only snigger. Imitating Lily slightly, he sauntered up to James, and leaned against the counter, facing James.  
  
"Way to go, Potter," he said, pronouncing the word 'Potter' with as much cruelty as Lily did.  
  
"Shut-up, Padfoot." James muttered angrily, watching Lily's retreating figure through the shop window.  
  
"You're great with women, really, could I have some tips?" Sirius persisted, before seeing a warning look from Remus which Peter Pettigrew didn't catch.  
  
"Weren't you going to ask her for ice cream and a date later on?" Peter asked, copying Sirius's taunting tone, only to receive a united chorus of 'Shut-up Wormtail' from his companions.  
  
"Don't worry James, you just made the wrong choice in terms of topic for conversation." Remus noted, and though his friends were already leaving the shop, James turned and smiled quietly at Remus.  
  
"Thanks, mate. Hope you're right. I really like this girl." 


End file.
